14-year-old sucked into water park drain after possible ‘dare’

CRYSTAL BEACH, Texas — A teenager is in critical condition after he was sucked inside a drain at a Texas water park, KTRK reported.

The incident happened at the Fun Town Water Park in Crystal Beach Saturday.

“From my understanding, it might have been on a dare,” Galveston County Sheriff Henry Troschessett said. “He’s a large, 14-year-old, my size, 5’11”, and he picked (the grate to the drain) up, and when he did that, he slipped into the intake.”

An employee shut the pipes off, but it was too late. The sheriff’s office says the teen was able to escape, but he suffered serious internal injuries. After they finally managed to free the boy, identified as Caden Strimple, he did regain consciousness.

“He told his dad, ‘I love you, sorry it happened.’ He was able to stand up. They walked him away from the area to the gurney to get into the ambulance,” Sheriff Trochesset said, according to KHOU.

Caden is now reportedly in a medically-induced coma at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

KTRK reports that the water park has been operating all summer long without proof of an inspection, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. Fun Town’s owner said Thursday his heart goes out to the family but they couldn’t comment.

"Pray with us for a speedy recovery for this young man," the sheriff's office posted on Facebook Thursday.